


Bathed in Moonlight

by orphan_account



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Midnight Discussions, Protective Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), mentions of bullying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-21
Updated: 2016-06-21
Packaged: 2018-07-16 11:18:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7265980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"They hurt me," Eren finally whispers after a moment of silence.<br/>He's well aware of how Levi suddenly tenses and hisses through his teeth. "Who does?" He demands, somehow squishing Eren even closer, as if to protect him from further harm.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bathed in Moonlight

**Author's Note:**

> Here, have some hurt/comfort and copious amounts of fluff. It seems that I'm only capable of writing hurt/comfort, and I'm not sorry, except maybe a little.

It's quiet, the room steeped in moonlight from the open window as the night descends and progresses. It's quiet excluding the soft whispers in the dark room and the rustles of the blanket.

"Quit moving," Levi hisses, yanking the blanket that Eren stole back. "It's cold."

Mumbling incoherently, Eren whispers back a tired but fond, "Shut up." His limbs ache, and his heart stutters, but Levi is warm, and Levi is strong.

"Why is the window open?" Levi groans, rolling over so that he's snug against Eren. Smiling softly, Eren snuggles closer into Levi's chest, relishing in the momentary moment of peace. Heat radiates off of Levi's body even though his limbs are ice cold.  "It's freezing."

"Sorry." An empty apology, seeing as Eren doesn't mean it. "I like seeing the stars before bed, and the window's foggy."

"That's because you never clean it, you slob."

Not being able to hold in his amusement, Eren laughs softly, hiding his face in Levi's bare shoulder. Cold skin. Smooth touch. It's familiar. The weight that he's been carrying around in his stomach for the past several days dissipates slightly, and he breathes clearly and deeply, folding himself against Levi's toned body. Enveloped in tangled limbs, Eren shudders, trying to forget school and kids and bruised knuckles from fighting back.

He doesn't notice how Levi's hand, trailing through his hair so calmly before, stutters for a second. He doesn't notice Levi's sharp intake of a breath. He doesn't really notice that anything's out of the ordinary until Levi speaks, voice tinged with concern. "Has something been bothering you lately?" He asks, and although it's dark, Eren can picture his steal eyes, cutting him through to look for his secrets.

Swallowing, and also slightly alarmed, Eren tilts his face up. With his eyes slowly adjusting, he can make out Levi's features, but not the smaller details. Details, like the heavy bags under his eyes, or the small beauty spot on his left cheek, or the soft crinkles around his eyes when Eren tells a stupid joke. "No, why would you think that?" He asks, voice muffled from fatigue. He lets his head droop down again, hidden face hidden from Levi's view. Levi's chest is far more preferable than any pillow ever was to Eren.

"You're being strangely clingy, is all."

"I'm always clingy," Eren dismisses, nestling himself flush against the older male's body. "I'm fine." He's lying through his teeth, knowing that Levi will see right through him, but it's worth trying anyway. After all, it's always been easier for Eren to pretend that nothing's wrong, and that everything's fine.

"You're lying." It's not a question, and Levi's tone is hard enough to make Eren wince. His tone isn't mean, per sey, but there's definitely something hidden that Eren can't ignore. Chest aching, and body burning, Eren squirms.

"Yeah." There's no point in disagreeing. Even so, Eren can't help but feel ashamed. His cheeks burn, and he's glad that his face is hidden because he hates lying to Levi. He hates the stone that settle in his stomach with every word of dishonesty, but he always has to try anyway because he never wants Levi to feel obligated to get rid of all his problems for him. He's old enough to handle some things himself. Old enough, and strong enough. _Strong. Brave. Like Levi._

But he still lets Levi lift his chin up so that their eyes meet, and he still lets Levi gaze into him, seeing through him as if he's transparent. "Tell me," Levi whispers, thin eyebrows furrowed. Bathed in moonlight and darkness, he looks as immaculate as ever, and Eren's sure that his heart has already started to beat faster. Ten percent from nerves, and ninety percent from Levi.

He contemplates his words for a second, trying them out silently as he sorts through his thoughts in his head, but he can't say them. He can't tell Levi because then Levi will worry, and Eren will feel horrible for making Levi worry, and Levi will worry more. It's a cycle that happens far too, and it never fails to make guilt swell up in Eren's stomach, fluttering like moths.

"It's really not a big deal," Eren sighs, trying to hide his wince as he shifts his body. His bruises and scrapes smart and sting, and he can feel the ache resonate all the way to the bone. Damn, they really got him good this time. It hurts, but not as much as Levi's expression will hurt if Eren tells him. He wishes...he wishes for a lot. But mostly, he wishes for Levi to stop locking at him with those blasted, piercing eyes.

"Eren," Levi admonishes, and Eren can feel his finger twitch, so he digs into Levi's hair. Soft, dark, and slightly mussed. 

Whining softly, and feeling a little hollow, Eren tilts his face up and kisses Levi's neck. Feeling Levi shiver against him, he takes that as a good sign and kisses the same spot again, sucking slightly. It doesn't escape him how peeved Levi looks, nor how frustrated.

"Stop trying to distract me," Levi twitches. "It's not going to work, so you better tell me what's wrong." He pats Eren's hair gently, smoothing it down, and presses a soft, coaxing kiss to Eren's nose.

Eren's body slumps defeat, and putting it off for longer doesn't really seem like an option anymore. It's an ongoing problem that's just going to happen again and again and again, if the pain in his body is anything to show for it. And even though he knows that it's better to just tell Levi and get it over if, his tongue suddenly feels heavy, and his limbs even more lethargic than before. The fatigue is becoming excessively prominent, and Eren almost welcomes it with open arms, but he knows how uneasy Levi is right now, and he knows that Levi's only asking out of consternation for Eren. Still, he doesn't want to say it, even though he knows that he should.

"They hurt me," he finally whispers after a minute of tense silence. He sounds a little acrimonious as he hides his face into Levi's chest once again, breaking eye contact. Inhaling Levi's scent conspicuously, he feels his own eyelashes flutter, fighting off sleep and the steadily building uncertainty.

He's well aware of how Levi suddenly tenses and hisses through his teeth. "Who does?" He demands, somehow squishing Eren even closer, as if to protect him from further harm. Hands tightened into fists, he smooths down Eren's thin T Shirt and slips his hands underneath, spooning Eren as vigorously as spooning can be, hand pressed against Eren's clammy skin. His anger, although rather volatile, doesn't scare Eren because he knows that it's not directed at him.

With Levi clutching him, and his face buried into Levi's skin, he feels safe. "The kids at school," Eren mutters with shut eyes, trying to clear his head. There's something private and petrifying about opening up, even if it's to Levi, and the shadows start creeping up in Eren's peripheral vision. He wills them away, blinking rapidly, and pulls the blanket closer to his head.

"The kids at school hurt you," Levi repeats, his hands clenching nearly painfully against Eren's waist. Although his voice is controlled, it trembles with fury, and Eren can't help but blush because no one's ever really cared enough to be so affected by what's going on in his life.

"It's fine though," Eren tries to reassure once he feels Levi's body tense and coil like a spring. Taking a gentle hand, he trails it down Levi's body, trying to convey how much he loves the older male whilst also trying to say, _"You don't have to defend my honour,"_ without actually saying it. Although it's flattering, having his boyfriend go to jail for beating up some stupid wannabe-thugs doesn't sound exactly appealing.

"No it's not," Levi argues, breath ghosting across Eren's forehead before being replaced by lips. "Tell me their names."

"Levi."

"Please."

"Levi."

Pulling away slightly so that he can look Levi in the eyes, Eren tries to make himself sound stern. "Seriously, don't stoop to their level. It's not worth it. Besides, it's not that bad. It's just a couple of scrapes and bruises."

"Let me see," Levi says, already taking Eren's shirt off.

"What?!" Bemused, Eren tries to yank his shirt back on, but to no avail. Levi discards of it, and stares at Eren's chest, breathing heavy with what sound slightly like desperation.

"The bruises. Let me see where they hurt you."

Embarrassed and humiliated, Eren lays silent and still on the bed, letting Levi take the covers off of his body until there's nothing between their bare chests. He doesn't want this. He doesn't want Levi to see the results of his weakness, and all the times he wasn't able to fight back. He doesn't want Levi to _know_. But Levi already knows, so Eren just lays there, the cold burying into him as his body racks with shivers. It's dark, but not dark enough to hide.

The bruises are ugly against his tanned skin, and the scrapes from falling onto the pavement are red and angry. Everything about it is pitiful, and Eren cries out quietly, turning his body to hide. Levi's hand stops him, tentative and shaking.

"Please, don't hide," Levi croaks, trembling all over. He looks the most lost that Eren's ever seen him as his pale, unsteady hands trail all over Eren's body. It feels...different. It's different than when Levi's touching him before sex. It feels more new, and it feels more intimate, and also much more terrifying.

And Eren can't help it when a tear trails down his face, dripping on to the pillow below. He can't help it when more just keep coming and coming and coming, even when Levi kisses them all away, lips hot and wet. "I'm sorry," Levi says, sounding so regretful that it hurts Eren's heart.

"It's not your fault." Eren can't even look into Levi's eyes. He can't look anywhere but at the dark, dark wall, wishing that the shadows from before would just swallow him.

Levi's body is right above his, and Eren doesn't remember how he ended up in such a compromising and distressing position. But then Levi kisses him softly, slowly, and lovingly, and Eren forgets about the humiliation, even if it's just for a second. Because Levi will always protect him, and Levi will always love him, and Eren will always love him back.

"They won't hurt you anymore. I'll make sure of it." It sounds like a promise, and there's no doubt in Eren's mind that Levi will go to the ends of the world to keep it. Levi's lips are on his skin again, trailing down his neck, to his chest, and back up again. He kisses every single aching bruise and scrape, and he wipes away every tear that dares to leave Eren's eyes. It's tender, and Eren's heart stutters a little every time Levi's lips touch his flushed, damaged skin.

"I can take care of myself," Eren grumbles, half out of it. But really, the idea of Levi taking care of him doesn't sound half bad. And although Eren hurts sometimes, and although Levi has rough edges, Levi always soothes.

"You always say that, but I'll believe it when I see it."

Eren might be a little delirious from fatigue, and also a little bit hazy from Levi's kisses, but he can't help but giggle. It's not like Levi's wrong. Eren's always been crap at taking care of himself, but that's mostly because he has trouble reigning his anger. He doesn't see it as so much of a bad thing, but he also knows that he needs to learn when to hold back.

The moon is high in the sky, and the room is dipped in silver and gray. It looks like the colour of Levi's eyes, and the colour that Eren imagines pixie dust would be. The shadows no longer look so dark, and the coldness resides, leaving only the slight remnants of a chill. "Thank you," Eren whispers, finally letting his eyes close. He's certain that Levi knows why he's thanking him, and he's certain it won't be the last time either. His skin tingles with Levi's even, steady breaths, and a comfortable silence descends upon them. Levi's arms tighten slightly around him in a squeeze of acknowledgement, and Eren's lips curve into a slight, affectionate smile. Yes, perhaps letting Levi take care of him is not so bad at all.


End file.
